From Former East Timor Province

25 August 2010

WEST TIMOR / INDONESIA Durable solutions still out of reach for many “new citizens” from former East Timor province

In 2010, nearly 11 years after being displaced from what was then East Timor, several thousand people remain in camps in West Timor, in the province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Most camps are located near the border with what became Timor-Leste in 2002, or around Kupang, the provincial capital. They are among the tens of thousands of people who have chosen not to return, the majority of whom have since been moved to resettlement sites inside West Timor.

The main issues affecting the people displaced are lack of access to land, poor integration with local communities, very poor living conditions, high unemployment levels, lack of access to education and unresolved compensation issues. In a province where 30 per cent of residents live below the poverty line and where resources and economic opportunities are scarce, the presence of the displaced, who are now considered by the Indonesian government as “new citizens” after losing their refugee status, has reportedly created tensions with local communities.

Official humanitarian assistance ended in 2005. However, between 2006 and 2010, the government built an estimated 11,000 houses in several regencies to accommodate the “new citizens” most of whom have been living there since. However, they have raised concerns about the poor quality of the housing, the lack of infrastructure and the fact that they have not been granted ownership of the land. Many have also complained that they have not received the compensation payment promised by the government. The government’s priority remains to close the remaining camps and it is therefore discour- aging any assistance there. It considers that housing assistance and compensation payments provided since 2006 have closed the case and that the matter is now in the hands of the provincial authorities.

www.internal-displacement.org Source: UNHCR More maps are available at www.internal-displacement.org West Timor/Indonesia: Durable solutions still out of reach for many “new citizens” from former East Timor province

Background 1999 has been a serious challenge for the central and local government agencies as well as for After a UN-sponsored referendum in East Timor humanitarian organisations. Estimates provided province in 1999 paved the way for its independ- by various sources have differed significantly, ence from Indonesia, between 250,000 and with the interests of IDP and local government 280,000 people fled to neighbouring West Timor representatives tending to lead them to over- (CAVR, 30 January 2006, Chap.7.3, p.152; UNCHR, 6 estimate their number. According to UNHCR, of April 2000, p.4). While some people decided to flee up to 280,000 people who had left East Timor on their own, others were coerced into doing so in 1999, 225,000 had gone back home by May by militias and the Indonesian army. By 2003, most 2003 (UNHCR, February 2004, p.2). The majority had returned to the newly independent country of those who stayed were living in the regencies of Timor-Leste with assistance from UNHCR, but of Belu (61 per cent) and Kupang (19 per cent), some tens of thousands of people remained un- followed by North Central Timor (eight per cent), willing to return and opted to stay in West Timor Kupang municipality (six per cent) and South or resettle elsewhere in the country. Most of them Central Timor (two per cent) (UNDP, 2005, p. 13). were members of pro-integrationist militias and their families, or Indonesian civil servants. As of mid-2010, several thousand people who had remained were reportedly continuing to live in First considered as IDPs when they crossed into emergency camps near Kupang and in Belu dis- West Timor in 1999, the displaced became refu- trict near the Timor-Leste border, in very difficult gees following Timor-Leste’s independence in conditions with little assistance (NTA, 25 July 2010; 2002. In 2003, they lost the refugee status when Jakarta Post, 10 December 2009; West Australian, they were offered the choice between returning 26 July 2008). There is no reliable figure of their to Timor-Leste or becoming Indonesian citizens. overall number, with estimates ranging from 5,000 Those who remained became “new citizens” of to 40,000. The lower estimate refers to people Indonesia and were given the option to resettle living in “temporary shelters” (USDoS, 11 March within the country. 2010) while the higher end of the range, cited by the Timor Center for IDPs (CIS), a local NGO The majority chose to resettle within East Nusa which has been assisting the displaced since 1999, Tenggara (NTT) province, including in West Timor refers to people living in “emergency barracks”. where they concentrated in two regencies: Belu, The local NGO adds that 3,700 families, or perhaps near the Timor-Leste border and Kupang, the pro- 19,000 people, are “without access to government vincial capital. Others went to neighbouring prov- assistance” (Jakarta Post, 10 December 2009). A inces such as south-east Sulawesi, where they had newspaper reported in June 2009 that “20,000 re- some family. By 2010, the majority of the people main in limbo in about 60 refugee camps” in Belu displaced had opted for resettlement, although district alone (The Age, 16 June 2009). several thousand people remained unwilling to move to resettlement sites and continued to live The current number of camps is unknown. A few in emergency camps. thousand people were reportedly still living in at least three emergency camps in Kupang district in 2010. As of July 2010, it was estimated that IDP population figures Tuapukan camp, 20 kilometres east of Kupang, hosted between 250 and 300 families (1,200 to Getting reliable and updated data on the size and 1,500 people) who had been there since 1999 needs of the various groups that fled East Timor in (NTA, 25 July 2010). Noelbaki camp, home to

25 August 2010 3 West Timor/Indonesia: Durable solutions still out of reach for many “new citizens” from former East Timor province

20,000 people at the height of the displacement emergency camps. For example, in 2008, Noelbaki crisis in 1999, still housed up to 2,000 people in camp lacked electricity and running water and 2008 (The Age, 28 July 2008). had not seen any recent improvements (The Age, 28 July 2008). Initiatives to improve shelter and In 2008, CARE identified 2,500 displaced house- infrastructure by international NGOs such as CARE holds, or roughly 12,500 individuals, in need of had also been reportedly hampered by the IDPs’ reintegration assistance in both Kupang and Belu limited access to natural resources compared to district (CARE, 6 May 2008, p.14). In 2006, estimates local community members, by regular changes in of the number still in need of relocation and assist- the government’s IDP policy and the need for IDPs ance ranged from 4,200 families, or around 21,000 to frequently move out of the camp in search of people, to 100,000 people (Li, December 2007; UCA work (CARE, 6 May 2008, pp.10-11). News, 2 October 2006; ICG, 4 May 2006, p.2; EC, 2006; Kompas, 21 March 2006; UNDP, 2005, p.15). Conditions in the resettlement sites are better than in the emergency camps, with wooden The government has moved the majority of the house providing better shelter. However, most people displaced to up to 80 resettlement sites sites lack basic infrastructure such as roads, clean in West Timor since 2003. In the past four years, a water and electricity (Jakarta Post, 18 August total of 11,000 housing units have been provided, 2009). The houses are reportedly of poor quality to benefit up to 55,000 people. The majority were and already in need of maintenance and im- constructed in Belu and Kupang. Others have since provements (NTA, 25 July 2010; The Age, 16 June 1999 resettled, often spontaneously, in other areas 2009). The resettlement process has been slow of the country where they had family, in particu- to move forward, mainly because of the difficulty lar in a number of provinces in Sulawesi. In May in finding land. Tensions with local communities 2009, there were an estimated 4,600 households, have also been reported, with some communi- or 23,000 people, displaced from East Timor in five ties expressing their reluctance to host the sites. Sulawesi provinces (Jakarta Post, 19 May 2009). The number of houses available to people who have been displaced has also been limited as the While the government now considers this dis- government reserved 60 per cent of the houses in placement situation as ended, having provided some resettlement areas to the local population material and financial assistance to the majority of and migrants from other regions (La’o Hamutuk, them in the past 11 years, many people consider November 2003, p.12). they have not yet recovered from their displacement and think they deserve more assistance The residents of the resettlement sites have not from a government they have been loyal to. In been granted ownership of the land on which June 2010, representatives of the “new citizens” the houses are built. While some expected the claimed that 15,000 families or 75,000 people government to pay directly for the land, others were still entitled to financial assistance from the thought they would receive support payments government (NTA, 25 July 2010).. out of which they could buy the land. Many claim they never received the money and are now asked by the landowner to pay rent, making some Access to basic necessities wish to return to the camps (NTA, 25 July 2010). Other problems mentioned include the fact that Shelter and housing most sites are in remote places far from markets, The government has discouraged support from schools, health care services and job opportuni- international agencies to residents of remaining ties (Warung Kopi, 25 March 2010).

25 August 2010 4 West Timor/Indonesia: Durable solutions still out of reach for many “new citizens” from former East Timor province

Food and water 16 June 2009; Writenet, March 2007, p. 6). Houses There is no specific data on the food security or and property left in East Timor in 1999 have nutritional status of each displaced group but long been occupied, and most people displaced they are likely to be worse off than the general have received no compensation for lost property population given their weaker social networks, (Jakarta Post, 28 April 2003). their lack of access to land and their limited livelihood opportunities. Most of the displaced are The majority of the residents of Noelbaki and reported to have very limited resources and poor Tuapukan camps have no access to land and little access to public facilities (UNDP, 2005, p. 46; UCA or no source of alternative income (NTA, 25 July News, 2 October 2006; EC, 2006; Li, December 2010; The Age, 28 July 2008). Many people have re- 2007). The lack of clean water in the camps and portedly made a living by working on land owned in the resettlement sites reportedly presents very by communities or by local landlords, on a share- serious problems for residents (NTA, 25 July 2010). cropping basis that has left them barely enough to survive. Others have sold vegetables and animals In May 2010, a “food security and vulnerability in local markets, worked as urban labourers or as atlas” (FSVA) covering Indonesia designated most taxi drivers (Warung Kopi, 25 March 2010; Jakarta West Timor regencies, in particular Kupang, as Globe, 24 June 2010; UNDP, 2005, p.14). particularly vulnerable to food insecurity (WFP, 25 May 2010). In the past years, West Timor has Lack of access to land ownership is also reported suffered successive droughts which have resulted as a major challenge to recovery in resettlement in harvest failures and further reduced the avail- sites (West Australian, 26 July 2008; UCA News, ability of water. In April 2010, the province was 2 October 2006). Many people were unwilling to reported to be experiencing yet another serious move to resettlement sites far from towns be- drought with more than half of the regencies cause job opportunities were scarce and access to affected, but in July the drought had reportedly health services limited (CARE, August 2007, p.8). not yet had a significant impact on food security (OCHA, 1 May 2010, p.1 and 7 July 2010, p.1). Even some people who have been able to legally buy land have struggled to get certificates prov- Documentation, land, livelihoods and social ing their ownership of the land, as they have integration not had ID cards, because no proper documents Often marginalised and excluded from local social have been drawn up to prove land transactions, support systems, many “new citizens” have report- because the status of land bought on credit has edly been unable to get the identity cards needed been unclear, or payments have not been com- to receive social assistance (Li, December 2007). The pleted. There has also been difficulty in determin- ID card, which gives access to subsidised rice, gas ing the boundaries of land which had had been and education, should be provided free of charge, bought collectively (CARE, 6 May 2008, p.8). but it is instead reportedly sold at a cost equivalent to one week’s income (The Age, 16 June 2009). In a region with scarce resources and extremely high poverty and unemployment levels, the pres- Access to farming land is very limited for the peo- ence of displaced people has been a constant ple in resettlement sites and emergency camps, source of tension with local communities as they both as a result of its scarcity and because the have occupied land owned by the community or majority have long depleted their assets and have its members and competed with them for jobs no resources left to purchase land. Few alternative (Jakarta Post, 5 February 2010). The displaced peo- livelihood opportunities are available (The Age, ple living in camps or resettlement villages near

25 August 2010 5 West Timor/Indonesia: Durable solutions still out of reach for many “new citizens” from former East Timor province the border with Timor-Leste or near the capital a) an adequate standard of living, including, at Kupang are reportedly also poorly integrated into a minimum, access to adequate food, water, local communities because of strong cultural differ- housing, health care and basic education; ences, in particular in Kupang (CARE, August 2007, b) access to employment and livelihoods; pp.5-6). In December 2009, several houses were c) access to effective mechanisms that restore burned down and six people injured in a clash be- their housing, land and property or provide tween local people and residents of resettlement them with compensation; sites in central Kupang sub-district (Jakarta Post, 20 d) access to and replacement of personal and December 2009). More recently, in March 2010, five other documentation; and houses were burned to the ground in violence in e) participation in public affairs at all levels on an Fatuleu sub-district of Kupang. equal basis with the resident population. (HRC, 9 February 2010, p.3) The social integration of the “new citizens” within the broader West Timor community may be While it seems clear that those still living in camps encouraged as they participate more in village near Kupang have continued to face a very dif- and district affairs. In 2006, some complained of ficult situation with little or no access to basic discrimination because they were not involved in services, adequate shelter, land ownership or job the village head voting process (ILO, April 2008, opportunities, there are also serious doubt that p.43). However, in 2009, 28 people who had been the majority of people resettled since 2003 have displaced ran for seats in the Belu district legisla- been able to achieve durable solutions, as many tive assembly, with two of them winning seats have reportedly continued to face similar chal- (Jakarta Post, 18 August 2009). lenges linked to their displacement. These include the absence of infrastructure, the poor quality of Access to education housing, the absence of secure tenure, and the The harsh living conditions have made it harder lack of access to basic social services; the lack of for the children of people displaced to attend agricultural land or resources to purchase land school. According to CIS Timor, thousands of them has severely reduced their livelihood opportuni- cannot go to school because of the economic ties and forced many to work as daily labourers hardship faced by their parents (Jakarta Post, 10 with little prospect of moving out of poverty and December 2009). Children have instead to sup- ending their displacement. port their family by selling vegetables or newspa- pers on the street (Jakarta Globe, 24 June 2010). National response Their lack of birth certificates and the failure of the government to provide ID cards to all children In response to the displacement crisis in 1999, have also reportedly stopped some displaced a wide range of actors cooperated to immedi- children from attending public schools. ately provide emergency assistance, including the central government, the NTT provincial and district governments, and the army and the Durable solutions police. Assistance was also offered until 2003 to repatriate people willing to return. Despite efforts According to the Framework on Durable Solutions by the government and international agencies for IDPs, a number of criteria determine to what to promote peace-building activities and resolve extent a durable solution has been achieved. The conflict between displaced groups and host relevant criteria include: communities, many contentious issues such as

25 August 2010 6 West Timor/Indonesia: Durable solutions still out of reach for many “new citizens” from former East Timor province land disputes and competition for resources have International response not been addressed and tensions have remained (UNDP, 2005, p.55). As in most other former conflict-affected areas in Indonesia, all IDP programmes in West Timor Official humanitarian assistance officially ended in have now ended. CARE ran a project from 2008 2005, although a number of programmes, mainly to 2009 in support of 3,000 households living in centred around housing assistance, continued Belu and Kupang districts, including both dis- until 2010. A social integration assistance fund placed and host communities (CARE, 6 May 2008, was set up in 2005, but it only benefited those p.1). Between 2005 and 2007, CARE conducted who agreed to resettle and integrate with local a livelihoods and health care programme with communities. Many people also failed to register thousands of former IDPs and host communi- in time and were excluded (Jakarta Post, 2 April ties. Building on traditional customs to help the 2008). In 2008, the government announced the displaced integrate, CARE’s programme sought creation of a training programme to improve the to improve their access to land, shelter, public farming and home industry skills of people who infrastructure and income generating skills. CARE had been displaced (Jakarta Post, 1 August 2008). also facilitated land certification to try to reduce the number of land disputes (CARE, 7 December In recent years, the issue of financial claims by 2007). Other international agencies involved in families displaced to West Timor or other prov- IDP assistance programmes have included Church inces has been complicated by the lack of reliable World Service (CWS) and Oxfam GB. Between data on the number of beneficiaries, by adminis- 2006 and 2007, Oxfam GB helped 2,000 displaced trative hurdles, poor local government capacity families resettle and build transitional shelters in and above all corruption (Warung Kopi, 25 March areas with improved access to safe water and sani- 2005; Jakarta Post, 2 April 2008; Jakarta Post, 21 tation, and increased food and income security. October 2005). Displaced people have protested, sometimes violently, over the insufficiency and The majority of international agencies currently poor management of government assistance in West Timor focus on food security, disaster (Jakarta Post, 3 April 2008; Tempo Interaktif, 4 preparedness and development. These include December 2006; Kompas, 21 March 2006). In Action Against Hunger (Action Contre la Faim response, to ensure assistance reached benefi- or ACF), Save the Children UK, World Vision, ciaries, the government decided in May 2009 to Plan International, UNICEF and the World Food use postal orders to directly reach almost 4,700 Programme. The European Commission has since households in five provinces across Sulawesi. Each 2009 provided €2 million ($2.6 million) in support family received Rp.5 million ($480) (Jakarta Post, of humanitarian projects intended to help vulner- 19 May 2009). However, in January 2010, it was able groups in NTT province improve their nutri- reported that close to 2,000 households in South tional status and reinforce community resilience Sulawesi reported they had not received the pay- against natural disasters. In 2010, it supported ments. In June 2010, representatives of the “new ACF and CARE Netherlands (EC, January 2010). citizens” in West Timor requested that the government provide the same financial assistance to Note: This is a summary of IDMC’s internal each of the estimated 15,000 families there (NTA, displacement profile on West Timor/Indonesia. 25 July 2010). The full profile is available online here.

25 August 2010 7 Sources:

Action contre la Faim (ACF), 7 July 2010, Kompas, 21 March 2006, “Captivates of Peace in Nutritional Causal Analysis in TTS, Belu, Rote Timor Island” N’Dao districts, NTT province, May-June 2010 Li, Elcid, December 2007, “Eight years after 1999” CARE, August 2007, Support for Empowerment of in Inside Indonesia No 90, Oct-Dec 2007 Non-Integrated IDPs to improve Settlement and Economy Project (SENSE) - Semi-annual report Tempo Interactive, 4 December 2006, “Refugees of East Timor Demand Compensation” CARE, 6 May 2008, Support for Empowerment of Non-Integrated IDPs to improve Settlement and The Age, 28 July 2008, “Too scared to go home, Economy Project (SENSE) - Annual report Timorese in limbo”

Commission for Reception, Truth and The Age, 16 June 2009, “Forgotten victims of East Reconciliation in East Timor (CAVR), 30 January Timor’s independence” 2006, Chega!, Chapter 7.3 Forced Displacement and Famine The Jakarta Post, 28 April 2003, “East Timorese refugees demand asset compensation” CWS, HKI, CARE, April 2008, Nutrition Survey in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) The Jakarta Post, 10 December 2009, “Winston Rondo - Putting one’s heart into the refugees’ East Indonesia Aid (NTA), 25 July 2010, “Former plight” East Timorese Refugees in NTT Air Grievances” The Jakarta Post, 19 May 2009, “Aid disburse- European Commission - Humanitarian Aid ments begin for East Timor refugees” Office (ECHO), 2 January 2010, Humanitarian Aid in Indonesia The Jakarta Post, 18 August 2009, “Matheus Guedes - From flight to fight” European Commission - Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), 2006, Aid to uprooted people - The Jakarta Post, August 2008, “Ex E. Timor refu- Durable solutions for East Timorese refugees in gees to receive training” West Timor The Jakarta Post, 2 April 2008, “Former East Timor International Crisis Group (ICG), 4 May 2006, refugees demand govt attention” Managing Tensions on the Timor-Leste/Indonesia Border The Jakarta Post, 21 October 2005, “East Timor refugees left out in cash aid” International Labour Organisation (ILO), April 2008, Infrastructure, Poverty and Jobs - The Jakarta Post, 3 April 2008, “Former E. Timor Introducing Local Resource-based Strategies to refugees attack govt office and foreign tourists” Eastern Indonesia (Papua, Maluku and NTT) The Jakarta Post, 5 February 2010, “Letters: Jakarta Globe, 24 June 2010, ‘Severe Toll’ For Poor Locals in NTT also need help” East Timor Refugees

8 Sources:

The West Australian, 26 July 2008, “Shame of United Nations High Commissioner for Timor’s forgotten people; horrific conditions in Refugees (UNHCR), February 2004, Evaluation refugee camps on our doorstep” of UNHCR’s repatriation and reintegration programme in East Timor, 1999-2003 Timor-Leste Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis (La’o Hamutuk), UN Human Rights Council, 9 February 2010, November 2003, The La’o Hamutuk Bulletin, Vol. 4, Report of the Representative of the Secretary- No. 5 General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Walter Kälin - Addendum - U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS), 11 March Framework on Durable Solutions for Internally 2010, 2009 Human Rights report: Indonesia Displaced Persons

Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News), 2 UN Office for the Coordination of October 2006, “Former East Timorese refugees still Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), May 2010, face difficulties” Monthly Humanitarian Update - April 2010

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), June UN Office for the Coordination of 2008, Rapid assessment - Malnutrition in NTT Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), 7 July 2010, Summary minutes of UN-NGO-Red Cross-Donors United Nations Commission on Human Rights coordination meeting (CHR), 6 April 2000, Report of the Representative of the Secretary-General on internally displaced Warung Kopi, 25 March 2010, «Lintenable entre- persons, Mr. Francis M. Deng, to the Commission deux des réfugiés est-timorais» on Human Rights in accordance with Commission resolution 1999/S -4/1 of 27 September World Food Programme (WFP), 25 May 2010, 1999, Profiles in Displacement:East Timor, E/ Indonesia Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas CN.4/2000/83/Add.3 (FSVA)

United Nations Development Programme Writenet, March 2007, Indonesia: Minorities, mi- (UNDP), 2005, Overcoming violent conflict. grant workers, refugees, and the new citizenship Volume 2. Peace and development analysis in law Nusa Tenggara Timur

9 About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide.

Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capaci-ties to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations.

At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing com- prehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries.

Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to en-hance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people.

In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives.

For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org .

Contact:

Nina M. Birkeland IDMC Head of Monitoring and Advocacy Norwegian Refugee Council Tel.: +41 (0)22 795 07 34 Chemin de Balexert 7-9 Email: [email protected] 1219 Geneva, Switzerland www.internal-displacement.org Frederik Kok Tel: +41 (0)22 799 0700 Country Analyst Fax: +41 (0)22 799 0701 Tel: +41 (0)22 799 07 12 Email: [email protected]